February 5, 2016 · 8:19 am

Friday Fun Food Facts – February 5, 2016

Triangle Restaurant News

Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

Featured Restaurant News 

  •   This is pretty cool. Julie Terry out at RTP, was the first to inform me about a new dining option right in the middle of the Triangle. The Farmery is now operating a restaurant out of a 1968 Airstream kitchen at The Frontier in Research Triangle Park. The coolest part is that many of The Farmery’s ingredients are sourced directly from shipping containers located across the Triangle that have been converted into crop boxes. They are currently open 11am – 3pm, Monday – Friday, but expect to begin offering breakfast options soon. You can find them at 800 Park Offices Drive in Research Triangle Park. Check them out here.

Wake County Restaurant News

  • We told you about this back in January (everything but the new name), but the Triangle Business Journal reported this week that the entity taking over the former Tyler’s Taproom location in Raleigh’s Seaboard Station will be called Oak & Dagger Public House. As reported, it will feature a full-on brewery surrounding diners on all sides. The TBJ reports they will also open a bottle shop. Look for a Spring opening.
  • The News & Observer reported that downtown Raleigh’s Person Street Pharmacy will begin offering a breakfast menu (and opening an hour earlier) next Tuesday, February 9th. Check out all the improvements taking place on their Facebook page here.
  • Changes coming to downtown Raleigh’s Napper Tandy’s was one of the worst kept secrets toward the end of 2015. But it is now confirmed that Napper Tandy’s is no longer. It is now Tremor Bar and Grill, still located at 410 Glenwood Avenue. Check out the new website here.
  • Last week we told you that the doors were temporarily closed to downtown Raleigh’s Cafe de los Muertos (at 300 W. Hargett Street) after the NC Department of Revenue encouraged them to do “a little remodeling.” Well, apparently they have kissed and made up and things are back to normal. Stop by and pay them a visit!
  • Thanks to the keen eyes of the EatRaleigh blog, it looks like there is a bakery making plans to move into the former Zydeco space at 208 Wolfe Street, near Big Ed’s in City Market. Thanks also to Ashton Mae Smith for bringing this to my attention. Stay tuned.
  • Last week we told you that the north Raleigh location of Duck Donuts had opened. As if that is not enough sugary goodness for one corner of the Triangle, this week folks on Yelp were reporting that Baker’s Dozen Donuts has opened at 123 Plantation Square behind Triangle Town Center near First Watch.
  • Not sure how we missed this, but a new authentic Jamaican restaurant has opened at 3901 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh called Mum’s Jamaican Restaurant. Thanks to Janika Reid for reaching out to me. Also loved that her email was signed, “One Love!” Check them out on Facebook here.
  • Friend Darcy Huante, and co-owner of Chef Mario’s, tipped me off to the fact that Michelangelo’s Pizza on Harrison Avenue in Cary has closed. And according to banners that are hanging up, it will be replaced by Randy’s Pizza. Although we don’t have any word on an open date. We will keep you posted. Thanks Darcy!

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

  • Literally just got the press release that tonight, ‘Barbecue Man’ Wyatt Dickson and chef/partner Ben Adams, teamed up with Green Button Farm’s Ryan Butler, will open Picnic. It is just dinner today, lunch and dinner tomorrow. Picnic is a modern roadside barbecue joint where authentic whole hog barbecue – smoked slowly over oak – will share the plate with Adams’ seasonal Southern sides and desserts. They are located at 1647 Cole Mill Road in Durham. Get all the details here.
  • The Chapel Hill Magazine broke the news that the much-anticipated Pizzeria Mercato opened this week at 408 W. Weaver Street. Mercato is operated by Gabe Barker, son of James Beard-award-winning chefs Ben and Karen Barker, former owners of Magnolia Grill in Durham. You can get all the details and check out their menu here.
  • And then there were two. It is official, Cocoa Cinnamon opened their second location this past week at 2627 Hillsborough Road in Durham. Check them out here.
  • Got word this week that the good folks at Big Bundts & More Bakery (currently located at 5504 Durham / Chapel Hill Blvd) are moving into new digs in March. They will be moving to 721 Broad Street, occupying the street-level space in the ADF building. Look for the move to take place in March. To keep up with the latest, check them out on Facebook here.
  • The News & Observer reported this week that Only Burger, the Durham-based food truck and restaurants, will start serving breakfast on weekdays at its American Tobacco location (529 Blackwell Street) starting next week on February 10th. The breakfast menu will be available 7:30-10:30 a.m. Monday-Friday. Check out Only Burger here.
  • The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Lucky Chicken, the Peruvian-style restaurant with locations already in Cary and Clayton, has expanded with a third location now open in Durham’s the Shops at Northgate near Northgate Mall, close to the Sky Zone entertainment center. Check out the Lucky Chicken here.

Closings 

  •  Got word this week that the Johnny Carino’s in Raleigh’s Brier Creek has closed.
  • Also, as previously reported, Michelangelo’s Pizza on Harrison Avenue in Cary has closed.

Food Trucks

  • Chapel Hill’s Al’s Burger Shack announced via Facebook this week that they will debut their food truck, Al’s Burger Truck, this Saturday night (February 6th) at The Kracken, a cool little bar out Highway 54 just west of Carrboro at Dodson’s Crossroads. Get more information on Al’s Burger Shack & Truck on their Facebook page here.
  • Not exactly new, but not sure he got any mention here when he opened at the end of last year, so we wanted to throw some love to Arlton Cangelosi, who you may already know (I haven’t had the pleasure of trying out his truck). He operates Mr. A’s Beignets providing authentic beignets and coffee with chicory of New Orleans. You can usually find him at 400 N. Salem St. in Apex, Wednesday through Saturday 8am – 1pm. Check him out here.
  • The Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo has announced its dates for this year: May 1, June 12, Aug. 7 and Oct. 9. VIP early admission wristbands, which let you get in to buy food before the general public, are on sale now. Get all the details here.
  • Holly Springs is hosting a small Food Truck Rodeo on Saturday, February 6th from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Holly Springs Cultural Center (300 W. Ballentine Street) as part of the 4th Annual Community Arts Festival. The rodeo will feature Stuft, Big C Waffle, and Olio & Aceto. Get more information on the entire festival here.
  • For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.

Events

  • Thanks to a tip from Felicia Perry-Trujillo, I was reminded that the Triangle Wine Experience, which benefits the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, is Feb 4-6, 2016. Get more information here.
  • Felicia Perry-Trujillo also shared with me that over in Cary at The Umstead, you can learn a little with the one you love at this season’s Artisan Confections pastry event on February 7th featuring the Durham Distillery. Join executive pastry chef Evan Sheridan as he bakes his way through gin and chocolate, and hear how this organic distillery combined art and science to create world-class gins and liqueurs. It begins at 3 pm and tickets are $65 inclusive of tax and gratuity and can be purchased by calling 919-447-4050. Get all the details here.
  • Valentine’s Day (guys…that is February 14th) is coming up and the News & Observer has a great list going of all the Valentine’s specials that restaurants are offering. Check it out here.
  • February 20th is the date for the 6th Annual Care to Share Gala to benefit the Guiding Lights Caregiver Support Center. It will be held at the Kerr Scott building in Raleigh. The event features a chef challenge in addition to the auction. Get all the details and tickets here.
  • SEEDS announced this week that their Fork Less Traveled, a chef dinner series that pairs Durham chefs with local farms and beverage purveyors, will kick off this season on March 13th and will feature Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint. The series is one way they support Durham garden-based programming. Get tickets and all the details here.
  • The 4th Annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience will be held next year on April 10th, but tickets have already gone on sale. Looks like tickets will be available through DPAC again this year and you can visit the DPAC ticket center to avoid service charges. Check them out on Facebook here.
  • Durham Magazine and Chapel Hill Magazine will sponsor the third annual TASTE: A Celebration of Food & Drink, happening from April 21 to 23, 2016. The event will feature more than 30 top local chefs and establishments in Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Raleigh. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Durham Branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Get all the details and updates as well as purchase tickets (they have an early bird price of $85 now!) here.

Food Bank Corner   

  • A huge thank you to all that helped support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina’s Holidays Meal Drive. They reached their goal of providing 2.4 million holiday meals this season by raising over $485,000 in online donations prior to December 31! We are so very thankful and deeply humbled by the outpouring of support. Thank you for your partnership to help provide hunger relief in our region!

    Unfortunately the need continues. If you are looking to fulfill a New Year’s resolution to get involved in your community, I encourage you to take a look at the Food Bank. Find out how you can volunteer here.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

January 29, 2016 · 7:14 am

Friday Fun Food Facts – January 29, 2016

Triangle Restaurant News

Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

Featured Restaurant News

  •  It is here. The News & Observer’s Greg Cox has released his annual “review” of the Triangle dining scene – awarding the “Restaurant of the Year” as well as his list of the best restaurants in the area for 2016. Let me know what you think.

Wake County Restaurant News

  • The good folks over at RaleighWhatsUp gave us the heads up that a new Italian eatery is coming to the Brier Creek area. Positalia, a concept out of Wilmington, confirmed they are in fact opening a location here. Go ahead and get familiar with them here, and we will keep an eye on their opening date.
  • We got word this week from reader Jill Anderson, that the Hillsborough Street and North Hills locations of Saxby’s had closed. And thanks to a little help from Dana McCall over at GoGoRaleigh, we learned that Crepe Traditions will replace the North Hills location. Jill also confirmed that a crepe place will replace the Hillsborough location as well, although we can’t 100% confirm that that will also be a Crepe Traditions (but a logical conclusion would suggest that). Check out Crepe Traditions, which has a location in Chapel Hill, here.
  • Over in Cary, reader Fonny Lo tipped us off to the fact that East Garden Restaurant over off Walnut Street (next to the Egg & I) opened this week. Unfortunately, I can’t find a web presence for them. You’ll just have to swing by and check it out.
  • Our catering friends over at Donovan’s Dish (chef TJ and Jill) announced this week that they are moving from their location on Buck Jones Road to to the Old Sweet Memories space at 800 W. Williams St in Apex. The new location will have a retail storefront of chef prepared meals to go, fresh salads by the pound, hors d’oeuvres and seasonal items as well as local NC goods and specialty items. Look for them to be up and running in the new space by the middle of next week. Check out Donovan’s Dish here.
  • And in downtown Raleigh, the Triangle Business Journal reported that Samad Hachby, the owner of Babylon, has completed a renovation that virtually turns the single restaurant into two. The indoor portion will feature Moroccan style food with a French twist and the outdoor portion will feature a more Mediterranean feel, what Hachby hopes will feel like a cafe on a Greek island or in the south of Italy. Check Babylon out here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

  •  Saw in the Indy that the former Southern Rail in Carrboro will become the latest venture for Andrew Moore, owner of the nearby restaurant Venable. He will convert the space into a barbecue joint called CrossTies Barbecue. They will serve authentic Carolina ‘que with all the fixin’s and feature a variety of smoked meats in a full service menu that features appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. He hopes to have it open by early May. He also announced that he will reopen The Station, hoping to do so by mid-March. Keep up with CrossTies on their Facebook page.
  • Our friends over at Bites of Bull City did a nice feature this week on the opening of the Durham location of Guasaca which opened this past week in the plaza at 2200 W. Main Street in Durham. Check out the feature here and visit the Guasaca website here.
  • Over in Chapel Hill, got word from @Burgeoningbaker that Jenny Li has opened Red Pepper, a Chinese restaurant offering traditional Szechuan dishes, in the former Cafe 35 space on East Franklin Street near Eastgate Shopping Center. We couldn’t find a website, but here is her Yelp listing.
  • The new Asian bistro called Moon Asian Bistro is now open in the northern end of Chatham County just off 15-501 in the Polk Landing shopping center, about 4 miles outside of Chapel Hill. I can’t find a site for it, but here it is on Yelp.
  • Over in Durham I got word that construction is under way for the next location of Happy + Hale, which has its flagship shop on Raleigh’s City Plaza. This second location will be at 703 Ninth Street. Keep up with their progress on their Facebook page here.
  • Also in Durham, saw on a Yelp message board that there is a ‘coming soon’ sign for Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dogs at the former Waffle House near the intersection of highways 54 and 55 in Durham. Stay tuned.

Closings 

  •  The social media world “blew up” this week once word got out that Belle at the Jones House, a restaurant that opened in 2014 along Academy Street in downtown Cary, had closed indefinitely after being seized for failure to pay taxes, according to the N.C. Department of Revenue.
  • Not long after that, a similar sign appeared on the doors of Cafe de los Muertos on Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh. While their Facebook page confirmed they are currently closed, it suggests have worked things out and will reopen in 2-4 days. Stay tuned!
  • And we confirmed this week, thanks to a tip from reader Jill Anderson, that Saxby’s has closed both their Hillsborough Street and North Hills locations.

Food Trucks

  • The first Durham Central Park food truck rodeo, appropriately named Winter Rodeo, has been postponed due to last week’s ice/snow to this Sunday, January 31. Same time, from 12-4 at Durham Central Park and will feature 50+ trucks. Get all the details here.
  • The Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo has announced its dates for this year: May 1, June 12, Aug. 7 and Oct. 9. VIP early admission wristbands, which let you get in to buy food before the general public, are on sale now. Get all the details here.
  • Holly Springs is hosting a small Food Truck Rodeo on Saturday, February 6th from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Holly Springs Cultural Center (300 W. Ballentine Street) as part of the 4th Annual Community Arts Festival. The rodeo will feature Stuft, Big C Waffle, and Olio & Aceto. Get more information on the entire festival here.
  • For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.

Events

  • Starting this Saturday night, January 30, Standard Foods will host the first of many Late Nite Pop-Ups. Head bartender, Taylor Homes, will host guest bartenders the last Saturday of every month from midnight to 2am, and together, they’ll offer a one-night-only cocktail menu beginning at midnight. Chef de Cuisine Bret Edlund and Head Butcher Steve Goff will take their cue from the cocktails, and serve an adventurous late-night menu to nosh on while the drinks flow. This Saturday, they welcome Garrett Waddell from Stanbury as guest bartender. Check out their Facebook page for all the details.
  • Thanks to a tip from Felicia Perry-Trujillo, I was reminded that the Triangle Wine Experience, which benefits the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, is Feb 4-6, 2016. Get more information here.
  • Felicia Perry-Trujillo also shared with me that over in Cary at The Umstead, you can learn a little with the one you love at this season’s Artisan Confections pastry event on February 7th featuring the Durham Distillery. Join executive pastry chef Evan Sheridan as he bakes his way through gin and chocolate, and hear how this organic distillery combined art and science to create world-class gins and liqueurs. It begins at 3 pm and tickets are $65 inclusive of tax and gratuity and can be purchased by calling 919-447-4050. Get all the details here.
  • Valentine’s Day (guys…that is February 14th) is coming up and the News & Observer has a great list going of all the Valentine’s specials that restaurants are offering. Check it out here.
  • February 20th is the date for the 6th Annual Care to Share Gala to benefit the Guiding Lights Caregiver Support Center. It will be held at the Kerr Scott building in Raleigh. The event features a chef challenge in addition to the auction. Get all the details and tickets here.
  • The 4th Annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience will be held next year on April 10th, but tickets have already gone on sale. Looks like tickets will be available through DPAC again this year and you can visit the DPAC ticket center to avoid service charges. Check them out on Facebook here.
  • Durham Magazine and Chapel Hill Magazine will sponsor the third annual TASTE: A Celebration of Food & Drink, happening from April 21 to 23, 2016. The event will feature more than 30 top local chefs and establishments in Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Raleigh. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Durham Branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Get all the details and updates as well as purchase tickets (they have an early bird price of $85 now!) here.

Food Bank Corner   

  • A huge thank you to all that helped support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina’s Holidays Meal Drive. They reached their goal of providing 2.4 million holiday meals this season by raising over $485,000 in online donations prior to December 31! We are so very thankful and deeply humbled by the outpouring of support. Thank you for your partnership to help provide hunger relief in our region!

    Unfortunately the need continues. If you are looking to fulfill a New Year’s resolution to get involved in your community, I encourage you to take a look at the Food Bank. Find out how you can volunteer here.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized